1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the structure and method of operations of dedicated telecommunications patching systems where telecommunications lines are selectively coupled to one another in a telecommunications closet using patch cords. More particularly, the present invention relates to telecommunication patching systems that embody patch cord tracing capabilities that help a technician locate the opposite ends of a specific patch cord within the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many businesses have dedicated telecommunication systems that enable computers, telephones, facsimile machines and the like to communicate with each other, through a private network, and with remote locations via a telecommunications service provider. In most buildings, the dedicated telecommunications system is hard wired using telecommunication cables that contain conductive wire. In such hard wired systems, dedicated wires are coupled to individual service ports throughout the building. The wires from the dedicated service ports extend through the walls of the building to a telecommunications closet or closets. The telecommunications lines from the interface hub of a main frame computer and the telecommunication lines from external telecommunication service providers are also terminated within the telecommunications closets.
A patching system is used to interconnect the various telecommunication lines within the telecommunications closet. In a telecommunications patching system, all of the telecommunication lines are terminated within the telecommunications closet in an organized manner. The organized terminations of the various lines are provided via the structure of the telecommunications closet. Within the telecommunications closet is typically located a mounting frame. On the mounting frame is connected a plurality of racks. The telecommunications lines terminate on the racks, as is explained below.
Referring to FIG. 1, a typical prior art rack 10 is shown. The rack 10 retains a plurality of patch panels 12 that are mounted to the rack 10. On each of the patch panels 12 are located port assemblies 14. The port assemblies 14 each contain six RJ-45 telecommunication connector ports 16.
Each of the different telecommunication connector ports 16 is hard wired to one of the system""s telecommunications lines. Accordingly, each telecommunications line is terminated on a patch panel 12 in an organized manner. In small patch systems, all telecommunications lines may terminate on the patch panels of the same rack. In larger patch systems, multiple racks are used, wherein different telecommunications lines terminate on different racks.
In the shown embodiment of FIG. 1, the interconnections between the various telecommunications lines are made using patch cords 20. Both ends of each patch cord 20 are terminated with connectors 22, such as an RJ-45 telecommunication connector or an RJ-11 telecommunications connector. One end of the patch cord 20 is connected to the connector port 16 of a first telecommunications line and the opposite end of the cord is connected to the connector port 16 of a second telecommunications line. By selectively connecting the various lines of the patch cords 20, any combination of telecommunications lines can be interconnected.
In many businesses, employees are assigned their own computer network access number so that the employee can interface with the company""s main frame computer or computer network. When an employee changes office locations, it is not desirable to provide that employee with newly addressed telecommunication connection ports. Rather, to preserve consistency in communications, it is preferred that the exchanges of the telecommunication connection ports in the employee""s old office be transferred to the telecommunications ports in the employee""s new office. To accomplish this task, the patch cords in the telecommunication closet are rearranged so that the employee""s old exchanges are now received in his/her new office.
As employees, move, change positions, add lines and subtract lines, the patch cords in a typical telecommunications closet are rearranged quite often. The interconnections of the various patch cords in a telecommunications closet are often logged in either paper or computer based log. However, technicians often neglect to update the log each and every time a change is made. Inevitably, the log is less than 100% accurate and a technician has no way of reading where each of the patch cords begins and ends. Accordingly, each time a technician needs to change a patch cord, that technician manually traces that patch cord between an internal line and an external line. To perform a manual trace, the technician locates one end of a patch cord. The technician then manually follows the patch cord until he/she finds the opposite end of that patch cord. Once the two ends of the patch cord are located, the patch cord can be positively identified.
It takes a significant amount of time for a technician to manually trace a particular patch cord. Furthermore, manual tracing is not completely accurate and technicians often accidentally go from one patch cord to another during a manual trace. Such errors result in misconnected telecommunication lines which must be later identified and corrected.
A need therefore exists in the field of telecommunication patching systems for a system that can trace and identify the ends of each patch cord in a telecommunications closet in an automated fashion, thereby reducing the labor and inaccuracy of manual tracing procedures. A need also exists for an automated system that enables the flexible substitution and/or addition of components in an automated system.
The present invention is used in connection with a patch cord tracing system for tracing patch cords in a telecommunications patching system. The system includes a plurality of tracing interface modules that attach to the patch panels in a telecommunications closet. On the patch panels in a telecommunications closet are located a plurality of connector ports that receive the terminated ends of patch cords. The tracing interface modules mount to the patch panels and provide a sensor, an LED and a tracing button to each of the connector ports. The sensor detects whenever a patch cord is connected to, or removed from, a connector port. Accordingly, by connecting a computer controller to the various sensors, the computer controller can monitor and log all changes to the patch cord interconnections in an automated fashion.
Additionally, by interconnecting the various LEDs, trace buttons and associated sensors to the same computer controller, the computer controller can initiate an automated trace of any patch cord upon the pressing of any trace button. Once a trace button associated with one end of a patch cord is pressed, the computer controller can locate the opposite end of that patch cord and can light the LED at the opposite end of that patch cord. This enables a technician to easily find the opposite end of a selected patch cord without having to manually trace the patch cord from end to end.
One embodiment of the present invention provides for automatic addressing of tracing interface modules on a computer controller bus. As each tracing interface module in a rack is powered up (or is substituted for a failed unit), the module identifies its electronic serial number (ESN) to the computer controller via the rack controller bus. The ESN includes information identifying the type of module, the number of ports on the module, and so forth to the computer controller. The computer controller maps the module""s ESN to a unique, one- or two-byte address, which it sends back to the module. In subsequent communications, the module uses this address to identify itself to the computer controller. The computer controller, in turn, uses this address to track the location of patch connections to the module. If a module has to be replaced, the computer controller tracks the replacement module using the same address assigned to the original module.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides for automatic addressing of computer controllers in a cross-connect field (e.g. an interconnected plurality of telecommunications patching systems in a telecommunications closet). As each computer controller in a cross-connect field (networked via a cross-connect LAN) is powered up (or is substituted for a failed unit), it automatically announces its presence and broadcasts its electronic serial number (ESN) and address to the other computer controllers in the cross-connect field (typically the single wiring closet). A hardware implementation allows each computer controller to automatically determine its relative position on the cross-connect LAN and address itself accordingly. Each computer controller tracks patch connections between the tracing interface module on its rack and the tracing interface module on other racks using these sequential computer controller addresses. As new computer controllers are added to the cross-connect field, each computer controller dynamically reassigns its address, tracking the relative position of the other computer controllers in the cross-connect field and, hence, maintaining the integrity of its database.